His house?
LONDON (AP) — The Latest on President Barack Obama’s visit to the United Kingdom (all times local):
10:40 a.m
President Barack Obama is asking young Britons to reject xenophobia and efforts to restrict people’s rights.
Obama says he wants young people to take a “longer and more optimistic view of history and the part that you can play in it.”
The president is speaking at a town hall in London. His remarks were a pointed reference to the debate in Europe over immigration and taking in refugees who are fleeing violence in the Middle East.
The president says he want young people to view integration and globalization “not as threats, but as opportunities.”
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10:30 a.m.
President Barack Obama is telling young people in Britain that there have been some historical bumps in the road in the history between the U.K. and U.S. — most notably, he says the British “burned my house down” early in the country’s history.
But Obama notes that the two countries “made up” and have stood side-by-side, both on the battlefield against fascism and in creating institutions that help spread peace and prosperity around the world. The president says his main message is for young people to reject cynicism and to recognize that progress is inevitable but requires struggle and faith.
The president’s comment Saturday about institutions that promote peace appeared to be a indirect reference to supporting Britain’s membership in the European Union.
Obama is holding a town hall-style event in London with young people.